1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and in particular, to RFID tag testing apparatuses.
2. Background Art
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags are electronic devices that may be affixed to items whose presence is to be detected and/or monitored. The presence of an RFID tag, and therefore the presence of the item to which the tag is affixed, may be checked and monitored wirelessly by devices known as “readers.” Readers typically have one or more antennas transmitting radio frequency signals to which tags respond. Since the reader “interrogates” RFID tags, and receives signals back from the tags in response to the interrogation, the reader is sometimes termed as “reader interrogator” or simply “interrogator”.
With the maturation of RFID technology, efficient communication between tags and interrogators has become a key enabler in supply chain management, especially in manufacturing, shipping, and retail industries, as well as in building security installations, healthcare facilities, libraries, airports, warehouses etc.
Readers may test the operability of tags by transmitting an RF signal and determining whether responses are received from the tags. Many conventional tags include multiple antennas. However, conventional readers are not capable of separately testing the antennas of a tag that has multiple antennas. Moreover, conventional tags are not capable of facilitating such testing.
What is needed, then, is a method and system that addresses the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional readers and testing systems.